Device for coupling clothing hangers together and providing a comfortable grip for carrying

ABSTRACT

This invention includes two embodiments for retaining together a group of several hangers. Each hanger has an attachment section which is shaped like a cane and a clothes section on which clothes are hung. In the first embodiment, hook and loop material is wrapped about the attachment section of several hangers thereby grouping together these hangers. In the alternate embodiment, a slotted tube of soft flexible material is placed over the attachment section of several hangers to hold the hangers together. A pigtail with a snap attached to the slotted tube is passed through the clothing and snapped to itself to prevent the slotted tube from sliding off the clothers hanger.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to cloths hangers and, more particularly, to a device for securing a plurality of clothes hangers together while also providing a comfortable grip for holding the plurality of clothes hangers.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The difficulties of carrying several garments on a number of hangers is well known. The pressure of the hanger hooks is uncomfortable and garments slip off the hangers and are hard to control. The difficulties of multiple hangers pertains to hangers both outside of a garment bag and inside a garment bag except that inside a garment bag, the clothes are retained and do not fall on the ground.

The presence of a garment bag is not of significance to this invention as the retention of the hangers into a unitized group whether inside or outside of a garment bag is what is of importance to the current invention.

The prior art teaches the retention of several hangers together. What the prior art does not show is the use of a comfortable grip for holding several hangers together.

The Myers patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,270 provides a hanger supporting device for a garment bag which will accommodate both ordinary hangers and luggage type hangers. The device is comparatively complex and provision for a cushioned grip is not included.

The Sheiman patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,947, provides for slidably supporting garment bags on stationary support rails mounted to and below a top plate which is mounted to the interior top rail of a garment bag. The hangers may be located in position on the top rail by one of at least two designs.

The Sullivan patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,947, issued Nov. 8, 1988, locks hangers in position on the stationary rail by either pivoting a track extension from a vertically aligned position with the rail to a blocking position transverse to the rail or by clamping the hangers by a clamp which moves in a rectangular direction toward and away from the rail.

The Mazzante patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,870, provides hanger retainer elements and a pivotable eccentric to retain the he angers and to release the hangers.

The Wong patent, U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,586, discloses a clip with clip jaws having gripping pads including a retention member which inhibits a garment from falling through the clip jaws.

The Spring patent, U.S. Pat. No. 6,434,803, includes a reusable and flexible positioning and locking clips for garment hangers and other cylindrical objects.

OBJECTS

The objects of this invention are to provide as follows:

-   -   1. A device for securing clothes hangers together.     -   2. A device for cushioning the gripping area of clothes hangers.

These and other objects of this invention will become readily apparent upon review of the application and drawings.

SUMMARY

This device provides for coupling multiple clothes hangers together and for and for providing a comfortable hand grip. The device includes multiple clothes hangers with each of the hangers having an attachment section and a clothes section. The attachment section has an outside end and

the attachment sections of several hangers are retained together. Hook and loop material or a flexible tube may be used for retaining together the attachment sections together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1, in accordance with an initial embodiment, is a front elevation of a clothes hanger of usual design with a cushion of the grip of the hanger.

FIG. 2 is an end view of a plurality of hangers as viewed from the right side of FIG. 1 as faced.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the product showing the cap with the hook and loop material attached to the ap for wrapping about the grips of multiple hangers.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of a hanger of an alternate embodiment of the invention showing the padded cushion on the hanger.

FIG. 5 is a pictorial view of a slotted tube used as a cushion

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view across line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE NUMERALS

NUMERAL DESCRIPTION 11 Two Sections 13 Upper Section or Attachment Section 15 Lower Section or Clothes Section 17 Hook and Loop Material 19 Hooks 21 Cap 23 Open Ends 25 Six Hangers 27 Hanger One 29 Hanger Two 31 Hanger Three 33 Hanger Four 35 Hanger Five 37 Hanger Six 39 Slotted Tube 41 Lower End 43 Pigtail 45 Snap

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Clothes hangers, which may be made from a variety of materials, including metal, plastic and wood have two sections 11. An upper section or attachment section 13 is generally in the shape of a cane and a lower section or clothes section 15 is where clothes are hung. This invention may be used either within a garment bag or apart from a garment bag.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 depict the first embodiment of the invention which utilizes hook and loop material 17WH which is preferably padded. The clothes hangers are standard metal or standard plastic hangers. The hook and loop material 17 is two sided (FIG. 3) with hooks 19 on one side and loops 21 on the opposite side. In this way, as the hook and loop material 17 is wrapped about the attachment section 13, it secures itself to the hanger. Hook and loop material 17, as is known, also secures to itself and is retained on the upper section 13 of the hangers. The hook and loop material 17 createds a soft padding for comfortable gripping.

A cap 21 is forced over the open ends 23 of the attachment sections 13 of a group of hangers. The cap 21 makes the open ends 23 of the group of hangers blunt so as not to injure anyone gripping the group of hangers.

FIG. 2 shows the ends of a group of six hangers 25 with hook and loop material 17 on the attachment section 13. Located side-by-side, as shown, left to right as faced, there are seen hanger one 27, hanger two 29, hanger three 31, hanger four 33, hanger five 35 and hanger six 37.

The alternate embodiment or second embodiment does not use hook and loop material 17 but rather a slotted tube 39 as shown in FIG. 5. The slotted tube 39 is composed of a soft flexible material such as foam rubber, which also provides a soft gripping area.

As seen in FIG. 4, the slotted tube 39 is placed over the attachment section 13. No cap 22, such as the cap 22, which is used in the first embodiment, is used in the second embodiment. The slotted tube 39 may be closed at the open ends 23 of the attachment section 13. This second embodiment is not secured to the attachment section 13 as firmly as the hook and loop material 17 is secured.

The slotted tube 39 includes at its lower end 41, adjacent the lower section or the 15 but still within the upper section or the attachment section 13, a pigtail 43 with a snap 45. The pigtail 43 can readily be passed through the clothing section 15 of the group of hangers and then be snapped into the slotted tube 39. This prevents the slotted tube 39 from sliding off the upper section or attachment section 13 of the clothes hangers.

While a preferred embodiment is shown and described herein, it should be understood that the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations in the described device are possible within the scope of this disclosure without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my invention. 

1. A device for coupling multiple clothes hangers together and for providing and for providing a comfortable hand grip, said device comprising: multiple clothes hangers each having an attachment section and a clothes section, the attachment section having an outside end; and means for retaining together the attachment sections of multiple hangers, the means for retaining together the attachment section being soft compared to the attachment section of the clothes hangers.
 2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the clothes hangers are composed of plastic.
 3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the clothes hangers are composed of metal.
 4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the clothes hangers are composed of wood.
 5. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means for retaining is hook and loop material.
 6. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means for retaining is a slotted soft foam rubber tube.
 7. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means for retaining is a slotted soft foam rubber tube and further including a pigtail with a snap, the pigtail being passed through the clothing section and then being snapped to prevent the slotted member from sliding off the attachment section.
 8. A device for coupling multiple clothes hangers together and for providing and for providing a comfortable hand grip, said device comprising: multiple clothes hangers each having an attachment section and a clothes section, the attachment section having an outside end; and means for retaining together the attachment sections of multiple hangers, the means for retaining together the attachment section being soft compared to the attachment section of the clothes hangers; hook and loop material for retaining together the attachment section; and a cap of flexible material attached to the hook and loop, the cap being fitted over the outside end of the attachment section.
 9. A device according to claim 8 wherein the clothes hangers arre composed of plastic.
 10. A device according to claim 8 wherein the clothes hangers are composed of metal.
 11. A device according to claim 8 wherein the clothes hangers are composed of metal.
 12. A device for coupling multiple clothes hangers together and for providing and for providing a comfortable hand grip, said device comprising: multiple clothes hangers each having an attachment section and a clothes section, the attachment section having an outside end; means for retaining together the attachment sections of multiple hangers, the means for retaining together the attachment section being soft compared to the attachment section of the clothes hangers; and a slotted foam rubber tube for retaining together the attachment sections and further including a pigtail with a snap; the pigtail being passed through the clothing section and then being snapped to prevent the slotted member from sliding off the attachment section. 